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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Tiger Introductions

Probably one of the most interesting and nail-biting experiences one can ever witness is two big cats meeting for the first, second, third and fourth time.

It is especially nerve racking for the animal care staff that knows and loves both cats, watching the drama unfold before their very eyes, knowing that the amicable meeting can change in an instant. Prayers go up for safe and wonderful introductions between the two cats because the opposite could spell disastrous for one or both animals.

Just recently, one such introduction took place at In-Sync Exotics. Witness how Aasha and Smuggler, two juvenile tigers,interacted with one another:

Even though Smuggler is larger than Aasha, you can see how he is gently swatting Aasha, taking care not to hurt her. I say gently because a tiger can kill prey with one powerful swipe of its paw. Tigers’ coats are very thick and tough so playful swipes will not hurt them. The same cannot be said with a tiger playing with a human—human skin is very thin (like tissue paper) and a hard swipe from a tiger can be lethal.

Curious Aasha, seemed interested in attracting Smuggler’s attention by following him around the indoor quarters. It wasn’t until she was cornered did Aasha displayed a little aggression, attempting to establish personal space boundaries with Smuggler.

It will take some time before both cats feel comfortable being around each other. We are hoping Aasha and Smuggler will become the best of friends very soon. We will keep you posted on their progress!

Later:

It looks like our two juveniles are getting along just fine! We are so happy these two tigers seem to be enjoying each other's company: